Sonos Play speakers can switch between surround and standalone use

Sonos’ new feature lets its portable Play speakers serve as rear surrounds with compatible soundbars, then work independently in another room. The feature is part of the company’s Sonos27 operating system.

TechRadar’s Max Langridge tried the setup with a Beam Ultra and a pair of Play speakers. The speakers can also pair with the Arc, Arc Ultra and Beam (Gen 2). Langridge found the compact Plays a better match for the Beam, where they added a more expansive sound than his TV’s built-in speakers.

An accelerometer in each Play detects when it is moved. Sonos Positioning Technology uses near-ultrasonic signals picked up by the soundbar’s microphones to determine whether the speakers are in the same room and where they are positioned. The system can also assign left and right surround roles automatically.

Langridge initially had trouble: a moved speaker continued playing home-theater audio, and it did not reconnect automatically when returned. On a later attempt, it disconnected after a few seconds and rejoined when placed back in position, confirmed by audible tones and a breathing white light. The first attempt required manual controls in the Sonos app.

In a test using the Penguin car chase from The Batman, Langridge said the Beam Ultra sounded expansive even without a separate subwoofer. Adding the two Plays as surrounds made the scene more immersive, with traffic sounds extending behind his listening position. He noted that a larger room or a preference for deeper bass could change the need for a Sub Mini.